★★★☆☆ Easy / North Rim Grand Canyon
Insanely good Grand Canyon views are the prime feature of this easy, shady trail! The Widforss Hiking Trail skirts the rim of The Transept, a deep canyon jutting out from the Grand Canyon’s northern edge. Vast canyon views, stunning rock formations and seasonal wildflowers are just a few of the wonders along this family friendly hike.
TRAILHEAD: Pt. Sublime Trail Rd. , Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim • DIFFICULTY: Easy • DISTANCE: 4.8 Miles (9.6 Miles Round Trip) • APPROX. TIME: 5.5-7 HOURS • ELEVATION GAIN: 300 FEET (21 STORIES) • APPROX. CALORIES BURNED: 1,380-1,590 RT • BEST TIME OF YEAR: may-September • PETS: no • KID FRIENDLY: yes • FACILITIES: yes (no water) • FEES: $30 Park entry fee (or $85 annual parks pass)
Making a wide curve along the edge of The Transept, on the Grand Canyon’s north rim, the Widforss Hiking Trail follows an easy, earthen, treelined path. It starts with a gentle ascent from the trailhead to the rim. Then it alternately skims the edge, or dips in and out of a few shallow ravines.
As the trail makes its way around the plateau, the views just get better and better! Jagged mesas, topped with trees hell-bent on surviving there, poke out from the rim.
In Spring and Summer, brightly colored wildflowers punctuate the the shallow ravines that the trail dips in and out of.
Around the 2-mile mark, the base of The Transept spreads out dramatically below. To its right, the stepped plateau the trail heads onto is clearly visible.
The last mile of the hike leads across this plateau. The views diminish for a bit, as the flat, easy and wonderfully shaded path heads towards its finale at Widforss Point. Here, stunning views over the Grand Canyon fill the horizon.
Note: Watch for lightening storms which can roll in quickly. Turn back if one is heading your way. Or, if one is overhead, move away from the exposed rim and take shelter in a ravine.
Total Nerdery The Widforss Hiking Trail is named after Gunnar Widforss, a watercolor artist who painted gorgeous Grand Canyon landscapes during the mid-1900s.
Resources Click here to download a trail map
Directions From the intersection of 89A and AZ-67 (in Jacob Lake) take AZ-67 south for 39.2 miles (past the entry to Grand Canyon National Park) to Point Sublime Trail Road. Turn right / west onto Point Sublime Trail Road and continue for about .25 miles to the Widforss Trailhead Parking Lot.
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